The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has directed the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE), the managers of the Aayalolo buses, to stick to advertised times in the operation of the contra-flow system.

He said the introduction of the contra-flow initiative rolled out two days ago must promote a positive attitude to time management.

Speaking in Accra on Wednesday, September 30, at a breakfast meeting with development partners and heads of agencies in local governance, Mr Ayariga stressed that if the "business as usual" mentality where drivers waited for a long time for passengers before moving was countenanced, the purpose of the contra-flow initiative would not be achieved.

"I ask the Manager of the Aayalolo buses to make sure that if they announce that the buses will leave at 6:15 a.m., it should move exactly at that time, whether it is full or not; do not wait for anyone.”

"Over time, people will get used to the fact that the bus leaves at 6:15 a.m. and adjust their schedules accordingly; that is how you change a behaviour for the better.

"Fifteen years ago, I went to Japan, and what struck me was the fact that the train leaves at exactly 6:25 a.m.; if the schedule says the train moves at 6:25 a.m., it will definitely leave at that time.

We can use the contra-flow initiative as the starting point," he said.

Context

The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs started the implementation of the contra-flow traffic management, a special traffic arrangement for faster movement of Aayalolo buses in Accra, which began last Tuesday.

The initiative has been designed to allow the Aayalolo Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services on major corridors into the Central Business District of Accra during peak hours.

Per the arrangement, the buses will operate from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the morning and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the evening.

Implemented in collaboration with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, GAPTE, and the Department of Urban Roads, the initiative initially covers three major commuter corridors: Amasaman–Accra, Adentan–Accra, and Kasoa–Accra.

During the designated peak periods, selected sections of the identified corridors will be temporarily configured to allow authorised Aayalolo BRT buses to travel in the priority direction against the normal flow of general traffic.

Decongesting

Addressing a press conference in Accra last Monday, the Managing Director of GAPTE, Dawuda Awudu, explained that the introduction of contra-flow for the Rapid Bus Transit would address the persistent traffic congestion that continued to affect the movement of commuters within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area.

He stated that the success of the policy would depend partly on the availability of efficient transportation to support economic activities beyond conventional working hours.